


Legio

by jaehoneey



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Modern Royalty, OC - Huang Chunhei
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 09:52:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17322758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaehoneey/pseuds/jaehoneey
Summary: A life she never asked for, a life that was never her own. Now she had to join an event that would distract the people but at the same time, distract the Royal Family from the true threat that they allowed inside their very own walls."I've seen you, you aren't like this." He argued.Chunhei scoffed. "You haven't seen me, Your Highness." She smiled. "You only saw what I've been trained for you to see."--Inspired by The Selection Series by Keira CassBoss by luminous_zen (wtp)Champion by luminous_zen (wtp)





	1. Chapter 1

### Before Everything Starts

I was with my family. 

We were venturing from one league to another for business. 

My dad wanted all of us to go so we could also have some time together as a family. 

What he didn’t know was what could have happened to us. 

I remember it so clearly, it would appear in my dreams as if it were happening again. 

But I knew it wasn’t happening again because it was _impossible._

We were walking back to Neo League, coming from Elyxion League, when my family and I were attacked. We were by Birnham Forest, just going at our own pace, but we were tired, we had been walking for three days from dawn till nightfall. 

We had no idea what was happening. One minute I was beside my sister, the next minute she was on the ground, bleeding to death. I was looking into her eyes as she died and I couldn’t understand why she was apologizing to me at that time. 

The men that had murdered my family introduced themselves to me as rebels. They said that they only wanted the best for the kingdom and that _I_ was the key to that.

They told me that they were only going to let me live if I fulfilled my duty. 

“You must show the King that there are people who will not stand for just anything. Any way you can. Our message must go through so from now on, you belong to us.”

I sat by the tree line of Birnham Forest, cold and traumatized, when a couple approached me. They were parents with a small boy, around two years old. 

It took them a while to get me up on my feet. The little boy was looking at me curiously. When I stood up, I shook. I fell into the man’s arms, the mother caressing my back gently. 

“We saw everything,” she said, “we’re sorry for your loss. Honey, we’ll take you in, we can’t leave you here.”

I couldn’t speak. I just nodded, tears brimming my eyes. 

With all the bloodshed and tragedy, I couldn’t bear to be alone. 

I was just four.


	2. Where It All Starts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This Selection was for the Crown Prince. The King had announced three months ago that soon an event would take place for the Prince to choose a bride. What better way to choose a bride than to see her compete with others for his heart?
> 
> The Crown Prince, Kim Dongyoung, was 23 and he was known to be a man of virtues. 
> 
> But if he was a man of virtues, why would he agree with holding the Selection?
> 
> A man of virtues my ass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okAY SO FIRST OF ALL this is lowkey gonna be a slow first couple of chapters, Chunhei has to go through stuff and meet a couple of people before actually meeting the man of the fic, but do enjoy hehe

“Renjun, I swear, you better stop doing that!” I shouted as my little brother took the book I was reading _again_.

He just gave me a sly smile but I noticed there was something else behind his eyes. 

“What’s wrong?” I asked. 

Slowly, his smile faded and he looked around the house before taking my hand and rushing up the stairs. I knew to keep quiet and not to ask anything because every time he did this, he wanted to tell me something he wasn’t supposed to. 

Once we were in my room, I quietly closed my door and joined my brother who was sitting on the edge of my bed.

“What is it?”

“Chunhei,” he started sadly, “Mother and Father are going to put you in for the Selection.”

The news wasn’t something I didn’t expect, I just didn’t think it was going to happen so soon. 

I am now 20, going 21 in two months.

This Selection was for the Crown Prince. The King had announced three months ago that soon an event would take place for the Prince to choose a bride. What better way to choose a bride than to see her compete with others for his heart?

The Crown Prince, Kim Doyoung, was 22 and he was known to be a man of virtues. 

But if he was a man of virtues, why would he agree with holding the Selection?

A man of virtues my ass.

“I know about that, Renjun,” I said gently, “it’s what Mother and Father have been training me for all these years.”

All those etiquette sessions, extra classes on History, Literature, and Science, all the times I showed up in public in my best attitude, it was all to capture the King’s attention— the Crown Prince’s attention.

But now that all of those attempts have failed, they would put me in a competition that would require me to put more than just academic skills on the line. 

I looked at Renjun and he was teary eyed. He embraced me tightly and I felt my heart breaking little by little. 

Even if Renjun wasn’t my biological brother, this family had taken me in ever since I was four, ever since the incident, and they helped me grow. They also trained me to be the most prim and proper lady not only in the Leagues, but in the whole _kingdom._ As if anyone could out-prim-and-proper the Queen.

All the Leagues: Neo League, Elyxion League, Revel League, Suju League; fall under one kingdom, Seman Kingdom. This is the kingdom ruled by the King and soon to be ruled by Prince Dongyoung.

I bid my brother farewell before standing up and leaving my room. I headed downstairs and brisk walked to my best friend’s house. I tried not to seem like I was in a hurry, but as usual, I failed to do so. Some of the villagers were watching my step, some were quite amused at the sight of the most sophisticated lady of Neo League losing her composure. They knew where I was heading, the only time I ever left my house was to go to two places- the library or to the house I'm in front of right now.

I knocked thrice and the door was open in a snap. I gave him a smile and he welcomed me in. 

“They did it,” I breathed out as he closed the door, “they really did it.”

“They put you in the Selection?”

I nodded and he frowned before pulling me in for a hug. 

“I didn’t want any of this to happen to you. That’s why I told you to run away." He grumbled. "I told you that I knew people.” 

“Mark," I argued, "if I ran away with you, that would put dishonor on both your family and mine. People would think that we ran away to marry one another.”

“And people know that your family’s training you to be crowned Queen.”

“Exactly.”

We pulled away from the hug and I could see the pain etched in Mark’s eyes. I couldn’t bear to see him pity me so I looked away.

“I have to go, I caused a scene getting here.” I laughed softly.

Mark chuckled. “When do you not? Alright _Princess_ Chunhei, have a safe trip back home.”

I looked back at him with a glare and he only had a playful smile on. 

I rolled my eyes before leaving his presence. As I closed the door, not giving him one last glance, I sighed heavily.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have any special feelings towards Mark, my heart surprisingly belongs to a man I've never met, and in turn, has never met me.

 

The clinks of the utensils hitting the plates filled the dining room along with the voice of the announcer. 

The announcer was reporting news about how the rebels had been on hiatus from attacking any part of the kingdom, saying that it may be the end of all our fears. 

“Statistics say that they’ve given up after fighting for thirty-one years. Now that they know that King Heonwoo’s reign is about to end, with Prince Dongyoung’s rule next, they may have thought that it was no use to fight any longer.” She said.

I held back a scoff, but the corner of my lip twitched a bit.

The rebels weren’t on a hiatus, they never were, they’re just waiting for the right time to attack. Right when the kingdom’s defenses are down. When there’s something else distracting everyone. 

Like The Selection.

“And now, to the portion everyone has been waiting for!” She chirped, catching the attention of all of us. “The candidates for the Selection! But before that, the King has declared that we are no longer calling it _Selection_ , but _Legio_. Legio is the Latin of Selection! He said and I quote, 

“‘Legio sounded more appropriate for the occasion because we are getting ladies from different Leagues. Selection sounded too bland.’ 

I rolled my eyes at the King's comment. _What would you do if your candidates were bland, King Heonwoo? Would you replace them too? Or would you make sure that everyone you pick out for your son would be interesting enough for one hell of a show?_

“We will now switch over to Sir Johnny for the announcement of the candidates!”

The screen changed from the boring reporter with a white background to a man who was wearing a suit, hair styled in such a way that all the girls watching would swoon. The background was the castle and it looked beautiful. The lights and the garden accompanying the majestic scene beautifully. 

“Thank you, Miss Wendy! Now, to the most exciting part of the night,” Johnny beamed, “the candidates for the Legio!”

Music had started to softly play in the background and no one was eating dinner anymore. I could feel the tension in the room, the hope of my mother, the attentiveness of my father, and the sadness of my brother. 

Without averting my gaze, I reached across the table and gave his hand a squeeze. I knew his eyes were on me now, but I couldn’t seem to move my eyes from the screen.

“For Faxade League, Miss Lee Krystal.” 

Once Johnny had mentioned the girl’s name, her picture appeared at a small screen at the upper left corner of the television. 

So that’s how the kingdom is going to know how the girls look. 

He continued speaking, from Suju League, Revel League, Kanta League, and so on, until he finally reached the League I live in, Neo League.

“And for Neo League," Johnny paused and I _swear_ I saw a twitch of a smirk, "Miss Huang Chunhei. Thank you everyone, we will be seeing the candidates tomorrow! A good night to all.”

As the anthem started to play the air around me seemed to suffocate me instead of aiding me to breathe, my brother’s warm hand was gone from mine as the castle disappeared to be replaced with the royal flag with its colors of blue, white, and yellow.

“You did it, honey,” my mother said in a sweet voice, “the Crown Prince now knows of your existence.”

“You can be crowned Queen, my little Princess.” My father chuckled. 

“You’re going to leave...” My brother mumbled, loud enough for only me to hear.

I finally had the strength to look at him, but I immediately regretted it. He had the saddest look he had ever worn. What broke my heart the most was the fact that i was the cause of his sadness.

“Renjun,” I said softly, my voice so small I wasn’t sure if it was mine, “Renjun...”

“Well, we should celebrate!!” My mother exclaimed as she clapped her hands together, not noticing the tension between her two children. I didn’t even need to look at her to see the huge smile displayed on her face.

“We should!” My father followed. “What would you like to ha—“

The siren sounded.

The lights flickered.

The screen flashed a warning sign.

The robotic voice saying _code red, code red_ , repeating over and over. 

At first, I panicked. My eyes went wide as I looked around, hearing a few shouts of both civilians and the ones who had decided to intrude. Finally getting back to my senses, I stood up, grabbing my little brother’s hand and rushing upstairs. I went to his room and gently pushed him in.

“Whatever you do,” I huffed, “do not leave this room.”

“But, Chunhei—“

“ _Renjun!_ ” I exclaimed, aware of the events that were to unfold. “Please, little brother.”

He let out a quivering breath, “Chunhei...”

I gave him a quick hug and kiss on his forehead before shutting the door and blocking it so he couldn’t get out. He started banging on the door and I felt my heart ache, my feet reluctantly walking away from his door. I wanted to turn back, I wanted to apologize to him, I wanted to tell him to stay strong, I wanted to tell him to not miss me because I wasn't even his real sister. But before I could do any of that, I ran to my room, knowing that my parents already rushed to where they had to be.

I closed my door and nearly screamed.

But I didn’t. 

Because I knew. 

They were never on a hiatus. 

They never stopped attacking.

They were only waiting for the perfect moment.

A moment like this.

“Miss Chunhei," a man with light brown hair started, "we see you’ve been selected as a candidate.”

“Indeed, I have been.” I said, silently cursing at how fragile my voice sounded.

“Do you still remember what we told you sixteen years ago?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat before nodding.

“Don’t make this hard, come quietly.”

“I never intended to.” I said as they all started to descend the way they ascended— by using my window.

They all had black masks so I couldn’t tell if any of them were my age or if any of them were from the incident many years back.

One of them handed me a mask and another tied my hands.

“We wouldn’t want them to think that you were willing to go with us," another man said, although he sounded young, "even if you are.”

They put the mask on me and aided me on the way down. As they started running down the path, I pretended to struggle, to fight. 

Only then did I see what they had done. 

Some houses were broken into, some shops were being ransomed, some walls were sprayed with words to harm the confidence of the people in their King. The flames set on trees were latching onto the roofs and the people that were seeking safety inside rushed to get out.

We walked faster as people started shouting, “They got our candidate! They got Huang Chunhei!”

Gunshots were heard here and there, shouts of both guards and rebels. The siren sounded even louder as we approached the gates. The guards at the gate were stationed at their posts in a fighting stance so I thought that they were going to close the gates, that this feeble attempt on _capturing_ me would go to waste, until I realized that those guards _weren’t_ guards. They were rebels posing as royal guards. 

We passed the gates and they pushed me into one of the cars.

“Hurry up!” One shouted. 

The engine ignited and I struggled more. I looked everywhere, making sure that anyone outside saw that I was fighting. But as I looked around, I froze for a second. Because for a moment, just a moment, I thought I met the eyes of the Crown Prince.


End file.
